TITLE:
Attachment in Children with ADHD
AUTHORS:
Sebastian Franke, Ruediger Kissgen, Maya Krischer, Kathrin Sevecke
KEYWORDS:
Attachment, ADHD, Externalizing Behavior Problems, School Children
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science,
Vol.7 No.11,
November
8,
2017
ABSTRACT: Objective: Parallels in findings of attachment and ADHD research suggest a connection
between both constructs. However, the few articles dealing with that tie
investigate children with all conceivable expressions of ADHD and have not
found sufficient evidence regarding the connection between ADHD and attachment.
This study sought to collect evidence of a possible connection between the two
aspects among children with the predominantly inattentive ADHD type. Method: The sample consisted of 93 children aged 5 - 9 years, 48 of whom had an
ADHD diagnosis of the predominantly inattentive type. Attachment was coded
using the German adaptation of the Attachment Story Completion Task,
externalizing behavior problems were rated using the Child Behavior Checklist 4 - 18. ADHD was assessed
using both clinical diagnoses as well as the German ADHD Rating scale. Results: Results revealed a large difference in the distribution of attachment
classification between children with ADHD and those without ADHD. Regression analysis,
however, showed no independent effect on ADHD when externalizing behavior
problems were controlled for. Conclusions: Both constructs seem to be
connected, however, in the investigation of the influence of attachment on the
disorder, ADHD as a global construct is too unspecific. As opposed to previous
studies, considering only the inattentive type, the relation might completely
be moderated by externalizing behavior problems. Subsequent studies should
first focus on specific symptom patterns which at best should be analyzed
within longitudinal studies.